Walt Disney transformed the entertainment industry with his visionary animation and theme parks. He created characters that defined childhood for millions of people around the world. Furthermore, his relentless pursuit of innovation led to technological breakthroughs in sound and color. Consequently, his legacy lives on through the massive empire that still bears his name. Explore these fascinating details about the man behind the magic.
Walt Disney
Walt Disney originally named his famous mouse “Mortimer.” However, his wife Lillian hated the name and convinced him to change it to Mickey.
He provided the original voice for Mickey Mouse himself. Remarkably, he voiced the iconic character from 1928 all the way until 1947.
He holds the record for the most Academy Awards won by an individual. Specifically, he won 22 competitive Oscars and received 4 honorary awards during his lifetime.
A secret apartment exists above the Fire Station on Main Street in Disneyland. The family used this private space to watch the park crowds without anyone seeing them.
He built a miniature steam railroad in his own backyard called the Carolwood Pacific. In fact, his love for trains directly inspired the railroad that circles Disneyland today.
The Academy presented him with a special Oscar for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Uniquely, the award consisted of one standard statue and seven miniature ones.
His final written words were a mysterious note with the name “Kurt Russell.” Reportedly, the actor was just a teenager at the time and did not know why Walt wrote his name.
He served as an ambulance driver for the Red Cross in France after World War I. During his downtime, he drew cartoons on the side of his vehicle.
Walt Disney strictly calculated that trash cans should be 30 steps apart. He observed people in parks and found they would drop trash after walking exactly that distance.
He spent 20 years trying to get the rights to Mary Poppins. The author, P.L. Travers, refused his offers repeatedly before she finally agreed to the movie.
He originally designed EPCOT as a futuristic city where people would actually live. He wanted to create an experimental community rather than just another theme park.
The opening day of Disneyland was a total disaster known as “Black Sunday.” Unfortunately, the asphalt was so soft from the heat that women’s high heels sank into the ground.
He secured a two-year exclusive contract for the use of 3-strip Technicolor. Therefore, no other animation studio could release color cartoons while he produced his hits.
Cast members use the “Disney Point” with two fingers because of Walt’s smoking habit. He always held a cigarette, so the studio edited photos to remove it, leaving a strange two-finger gesture.
Finally, he gave Mickey Mouse only three fingers and a thumb to save time. This small decision saved the studio millions of dollars in animation costs over the years.
